San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-11-02
PICKETTS CHARGE.
EXTRACTS FROM THE ACCOUNT
GIVEN BY GEN. DEvEREAUx.
How the Nineteenth Massachusetts and
tho Tammany Regiment Behaved In One
of tho Most Trying Contests OF the
war-At the Apex.


war-At the Apex.
Suddenly single gun from the enemys
lines broke the oppressive stiffness. 1t was
plainly a signal No sooner had its report
reused the attention than every gun on Sem
mary ridge opened in one grand salvo with
concentric fire on Gibbons division. The
shot from that signal gun struck Lieut..
Sherman s. Robinson, of the Nineteenth
Massachusetts,, cutting his body nearly in
two, killing bin instantly. From this time
ON for two hours the roaring of the cannon
and bursting Of shells from both sides was so
incessant that the ear could not distinguish
individual explosions. IL was one grand
raging clash of ceaseless sound.
The firing OF cannon ceased almost as sud
denly as it began, and Pickett's splendid
division moved out to cross the interval be-
tween the two low lying ridges occupied by
the opposing armies, on that magnificent
charge winch has extorted the admiration,
unqualified, of their foes, must be ever MEM
orable in history, and which won the position
aimed for, but could not hold it. The story
of this grand effort has been many times re-
peatet, and shall limit myself to the rela-
tion Of what occurred after Pickett had
crossed the Emmetsburg pike and came
sweeping up the slope, still carrying every
thing before him as if borne forward by all
ruling fate. The knoll bearing the historic
Little Oak grove slopes off well toward the
south and east From the left Of my line
two detached regiments Of Halls brigade)
D., NaIIon and myself had a view which
comprised good deal of the ground even
Ill, 4, srent NJ tb,. elevation.
Stan5;rc, there looking on the grand array
- tI'at ,,.ia-tic charge was IL mere impulse
" ma -, n NO 70 1ove Forward INV men
$3.50 rot r. that .SincIe Line Of Blue1, Or
u =. s,.ou'n,;na from, a higher source that
,s. - do octions One can onIv tell
-. -, -. 49,. ,,rro;lad Uowever IL
VIZ - s,a PHI - was that wa conId not es-
-, ~ ~ tho tragedy To follow. Il
. 80. La - dasnerote ona and what was the
100, ty,jch reliance must be placed
80 ,,,aat and nerform the duty9 The Nine
to,,,tn Mossscbusstts had been trained from
tLa stort in n discipline as stern as that of
-, Iii. .sI,oreidaar NEVERTHELESS il had
go cono within the range of nv experi
80 g., 300 a bodv Of troons where mutual
onUSSonca Of officers and men existed in
k;r,har aoo,rae ...- ...
To1ay fbe Nineteenth Massachusetts has
,r;ts ~ rho Fortv.second New York. Tam
-. Co., riI,,,tion To tho countrv,s cause
T.. tto,,, WOO al tho traditional fun and fight.
go. bori,,ro which centuries Of oppres-
-. 49,, 81, him ~ nor renress They
, ,.on. ~ avcaIient condition under the firm
W. 80 MI, ....-.-0
CoI MoIlon and myself could view the
- 60 s,andinc mn as we were. and
49, rrobaIIv the onIy persons close enough
roadiIv 70 distinguish ali which occurred, and
60 entirely free from personal participation as
81 ~ i,,te,lioantiv 10 iudpe il We see
tSat Webb cannot firmly hold his men against
a.. .,'' Ill, 81 tbot ferce CHARGE tbouGb he
NOV throw himself with reckless courage in
front 70 face the storm. and beg, threaten and
aoD,,.nd HoIps RIGHT. overlapped has to
son bocE with suIlen fury. swaying to the
,aor from the pressure. but swaying forward
- 1il,o ocean surges AGAINST a rock This
o,.satas disorder heightened by the men of
Iro,.ro,v,s Irieyoda sprping also in that direc-
Zion onnorcnilv without orders or concert.
h,,t e,,,iIod Inv some instinct of burrying to
tho reCcua Evervtbing was in confusion,
rao,irnoptoI organization was lost. ranks were
81 o.. to, deem nusbinp. swayiug. strug-
oiing rorrsino tn Weld. but almost impotent
e. ed A great eop yawus Immediately
49, e, WIN ond Hall The entire width
of the Oak grove and for some distance to the
,;,rI,t ia strinnad Of defense ON orr line. Every
o,1n on onr front there is silenced. Wood
,,,g Cushing Brown. Rorty and every other
oficsr.- almost without excep-
ton ~ tho respective batteries, is dead or
T,ohrod or1 Gibbon badly wounded. Was
80 Io,,otoI Second corrs whose nroud boast
q. ,ros trot n sr,cver lost Gun or n color u To
=, ,o,,,,,I, ~ losta
"SGoIlon ,vo must r,ovep Inst then n
,,oodIorc, r,,sh of horses, feet. suurred To the
,,t,,,os+ con,o IN tho hollow behind from the
I;raot;o,, ~ tho Raltimore nike I turned
Thoro locking the very embodiment of the
tbo cod of var rode Hancock. the ..Superb,n
7 sLonted nc ba nearly trampled on INV men
s,iii zinc down and as vet unseen by him
10 tbreI his horse on his launches aSee,n
oriaJ 1tLair coIors. thew have broken
thna,,o,h Iat ,,e cot in there ~ His cbaroc.
tor;Otic answer fitted time and place and he
sI,o+ ill., on arrow mast NV left toward HaIs
strrggIinp lines. receiving in a few seconds
tha wound that swept him from his saddle
and 90 nearly cost him his life. Meanwhile
MaIIon snrinping from nv side. was instantly
With bis men and both regiments ON the
double onick moved side by side TO fill that
fearful can.
The two lines came together with a shock
which stonned both and caused a slight re-
hound For several minutes they faced and
e,od into aocb other Mt a distance (which 7
carefully measured after the fight a little
short Of fifteen paces, EVERYTHING seemed
trembling in the balance. Whichever side
could GET a motion forward must surely win.
Con kIIvorIar s Webb [ couldn't see Inst
then | felt rather than saw Hall, as he ap-
peared at nv side. eve are steady now"
he soid "SIra but we must moye.p I re-